Strawberry Fields 2011 Designer Mystery Block of the Month Finished
Hooray! A Monday finish! It’s the long weekend here in Canada and today is Victoria Day. Normally a lot of Canadians head out camping or, if they are luck enough to have a lakeside cabin, to the cabin. My family usually takes a long weekend after the long weekend so we can enjoy Jasper National Park after the crowds have gone home. So my husband worked this weekend. He worked three 14 hour days in a row while I took care of the kids and quilted all weekend.
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| Strawberry Fields 2011 Fat Quarter Shop Designer Mystery Block of the Month. Pieced and Quilted by Anita LaHay of Daydreams of Quilts. Started in 2011. Finished in 2016. |
The first post I have on this blog about this quilt was written on August 6, 2012.This quilt has been basted and draped over a chair since I finished piecing it and I posted it on Instagram on May 30, 2015. So that means it’s been sitting for almost a year waiting to be quilted. Yikes! Anyway, I spent the majority of the long weekend quilting it. I finished quilting this morning and put the binding on (machine sewn… hand sewing was not going to happen.) And now this quilt is washed, dried and on my bed! I am thrilled!
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| A close up of some of my quilting. This was quilted on my domestic Juki semi industrial sewing machine. (Not a long arm but it has a large throat space and it’s super fast.) |
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| Close-up showing the backing and binding on the left side of the photo. This tulip is my favourite flower on the quilt. |
Wow! I certainly didn’t think it would take me over five years to make this quilt when I started it but I am so happy that I have finally finished it and I can enjoy this summery flowery quilt on my bed at last. Thank you for visiting today to see my Monday finish that was a very long time coming. #thistookforever
Would you consider selling your patterns and finishing kit instructions? I missed 2011 due to knee surgery and would love to use Strawberry Fields Revisited.
Hi! I couldn't email you back so I hope you check back here. I'm going to keep them in case I am taken with a sudden attack of insanity and decide to make this again. Fat Quarter Shop still has them for sale on their site. Here is the link: http://www.fatquartershop.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=2011+mystery+block+of+the+month
What a beautiful finish Anita. I know just how it feels when you finally drape it across your bed. Tulip is quite unique. I love your free motion quilting everywhere on this quilt.
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Wow it is gorgeous! My blocks are still only half done, along with 2012, and 2013, and 2014…. 🙂
Thank you so much Diane! 🙂 It is so fantastic when you finally finish a project like this, isn't it? I took more time than usual making my bed this morning so I could admire it longer.
Thank you so much Susan! I hear you. These quilts always seem like they will be easier to make than they actually are. I have the 2012 top finished but haven't put the last border on it yet.
Anita, this quilt is beautiful but I am in awe about your quilting. You inspire me to just go for it with learning FMQ.
Thank you so much Anne. Free motion quilting is tricky at first but once you get used to it it's just like everything else… it becomes easy. I am still learning and trying new things with every quilt so each quilt is a learning experience. Start with something easy like stippling. Get some scrap fabric and batting, make a little quilt sandwich and practice on that first before you start on an actual quilt. And of course mini quilts are easier to quilt so quilt up a few of them for practice too. 🙂 I also spray baste my quilts and I hope I'm not reducing the length of my lifetime doing that but I really can't be bothered stopping every few inches to remove a safety pin. So yes! Go for it! If I can learn to do it so can you. 🙂 Also, if you are stuck for ideas I recommend Angela Walter's books on free motion quilting.
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Totally worth the wait, it's so pretty and it's great that you decided to do it justice with some custom quilting rather than an edge to edge.
Thank you so much Kerry! 🙂 I am glad I waited the year while my skills improved before quilting this one.